A NETFLIX SERIES
["Büklüm Büklüm" plays on radio]
Sorry I'm late, Kemal.
I couldn't sneak out past my mother.
Well, you're here now.
I ordered you lemonade and a pudding.
Oh good, the usual.
And? Come on. Tell me the big news.
I found a great job.
The project is amazing, and the pay is great.
-Mm-hm. -They'll provide lodging.
But it's in… Mersin.
Mersin, really?
So you're gonna be leaving İzmir, then? We won't be able to see each other.
Well, I don't want us to see each other, and I don't want to hang out with you.
My intentions are serious.
Be my family, Belgin.
-Mm. -Will you marry me?
[Ada] We often forget that our parents had their own lives before we were born.
That they met, fell in love, and made love.
We forget that we're alive because they made love.
[Belgin] Mother!
Kemal just asked me to marry him.
So we're getting married.
[melancholy music plays]
[Ada] But there are things we don't forget.
[gasps]
[Ada] Like the anger we feel towards them.
I need to get in there and see my mom.
Sorry. You can't come in here. You need to wait upstairs.
Tell Dr. Tolga it's Ada Korkmaz. He already knows who I am!
I don't care who you are. You still can't come in.
What are you doing?
You're the next of kin?
Her belongings.
Thank you.
-Ow! -Give me that.
-Let go! My dad bought me that. Let go! -Let go. Stop
Ow! Ow, ow! Stop it! Stop it! Ow!
[children chanting]
[bell rings]
[Belgin] What's going on in here?
Get up.
-Mom, did you even see what he did? -Get up
Hold out your hand.
Ah!
Stand in the corner. That's your punishment.
I'm really, really sorry, teacher.
[melancholy music plays]
[young Ada] My mother doesn't love me.
[woman] What? Oh, never mind her.
I'll give her a piece of my mind.
Now take this and you can try stitching it.
-[woman] Pull that out now. -[young Ada] Yeah, okay.
-Good, that's wonderful! -Wow.
Good for you, honey.
Oh, my baby.
[woman] You should study medicine, and then you can become a doctor
and heal people with those tiny hands of yours.
But if I become a doctor, do you think I could have your mirror?
Oh, she's negotiating. Here you go, then.
Thank you so much!
-[woman] Here you go -Hey, Mom. I'm home.
Welcome.
-Has Kemal called? -[woman] Yeah, about ten times.
Why would you get a call from a total stranger?
[Belgin] He's working day and night.
-Not a lot of time to call. -Oh, I got it. Of course, honey. Good one!
This is what you tell yourself? Huh?
I hate to tell you the truth,
but he dropped you guys off here and left for Georgia.
Why would he even think to look back?
All you're doing is deceiving yourself.
And look.
Don't you ever raise your hand to that kid again, Belgin. Got it?
Ada, how are you holding up?
I didn't know she was your mother.
-She's been my patient for a year. -For a whole year?
It looks like the angiography she had just wasn't enough.
And she hasn't taken care of herself so the next 48 hours are crucial.
I'm Tolga. Ada and I are friends from med school.
Selim. Ada's husband.
I'll come back in an hour to check up on her.
In the meantime, you should rest.
-Thanks, Doctor -Hang in there.
Thank you.
She's been sick for a year.
[kisses]
[crying]
[Turkish Arabesque music plays on stereo]
Fiko. Where's Leyla?
[Sevgi] Hey.
Uh, Leyla is where?
[Fiko] I don't know. I haven't seen her today.
Her phone's switched off, and she has the car.
What's wrong? You all right?
I got the call. Ada's mother just had a heart attack.
-They took her to a hospital in İzmir. -All right, damn.
Okay, hold on. I'll take you there.
[Sevgi] What? Do you have a car?
[Fiko] Hey, sweep the floors. I'm off. You guys hold down the fort.
God, what the hell are you up to, Leyla?
[Fiko] Let's go.
-Hey, Erdem? -Hm
You listen up. I am not doing it.
[groans] Come on, baby. For God's sake, this is not the time to act proud.
Are you completely insane? You're saying we should get divorced?
Fine. If that's what you want,
we don't get divorced, you don't get the money. Fuck it.
And I'm not gonna run,
I'll just go to jail, and it's all over. Problem solved.
[gasps] Easy! [shivers]
It's easy what, Erdem? Easy what, damn it?
So you're just fine with getting a divorce?
Ooh. Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Would you just look at me for a second, please?
Going from hot tubs to riverbanks!
Don't worry. I'll send for you guys once I get there.
Yeah, like hell you will.
Or maybe you'll just be too busy having fun with European chicks, Erdem.
You'd already be single. Who's gonna get in your way then?
Oh God. For God's sake, Leyla!
[gasps, shivers]
Ugh, Leyla. Damn it!
When I get my hands on you, I swear to God, I'm gonna…
God, Ada's going through so much.
I hope we're not too late. I really hope we're not.
[siren chirps]
Fiko. What are you doing? Where'd you find that?
Hey. Come on. Take it down.
Now I'm offended, counselor.
Didn't you check the plates before you got in the car?
Thanks to the Creator, we the people of Adana,
we're not like any other ordinary citizen.
Well, Adana-man, that is still illegal. Take it down.
I thought you said that we were late.
I'm telling you, that's still illegal. You can't use that.
Even your car is breaking the law,
you have seatbelts, but, look, there's nothing I can hook this into.
-All right. -[siren chirps]
You really are something else. You know that, don't you?
Dear God…
You know what?
Ever since this inheritance thing came up,
you've been acting pretty dodgy and sneaky.
-I've been acting dodgy and sneaky, now? -Exactly.
You're not even telling me what you've gotten yourself into, Erdem.
"Find all that money, Leyla. Arrange a boat, Leyla."
"Bring this, Leyla. Take that, Leyla."
-I'm not at your beck and call! -What are you talking about?
Why are you talking to me like you're somebody else, huh?
You have a problem with me?
Dear God.
An inheritance is the only kind of security we have, Erdem.
You got it?
We're talking about Sarp's future right now.
Oh wow.
So all of a sudden, it's your money and not ours, right? Huh?
[sighs]
Why do you think I got into this business to begin with?
It's your plastic surgeries
and all of your cosmetics and all of your millions of outfits.
Do you have any idea how much all of this stuff costs? Huh?
Or the maid or the nanny or the driver
or the gardener or the boob-job
or the pole dancing classes or any of the rest of it?
You're ungrateful, really ungrateful.
All of those things were for you, you asshole.
Just so you'd like me.
So you wouldn't chase other women. So you wouldn't keep cheating on me.
It'll always be about this.
You're never gonna let that go, right?
Good for you. Really, good for you.
And have you ever given me the chance to forget it?
You think I'm an idiot? You think I don't know anything?
And yet you stayed with me. You should've left me then.
Am I holding you against your will?
No, I'm not.
It's just that you love living the good life.
You idiot!
You idiot! You fucking asshole!
I didn't ever leave you because I loved you so much.
Because I'm still in love with you no matter what.
Because I'm so stupid, you hear me?
I'm so fucking stupid. I really am.
I sacrificed everything for you.
My education, my mother, my father, my career. Everything! Everything.
[sobs] And now you're accusing me of doing all that for your stupid money?
Ah!
Get the fuck out.
Get the fuck out of my life! You hear me?
[sobs]
-You remember the first time we met? -[sniffles]
How smitten I was? [chuckles]
You didn't even bother to look at me.
But once I started sending you bouquets of flowers
and lots of expensive gifts,
you decided to give me a chance.
Am I wrong?
I knew right away that a girl like you
wouldn't want anything to do with a guy like me.
But you know what else I knew back then, Leyla?
That you'd be my wife.
[melancholy music plays]
I knew that you'd be the mother of my child.
-Okay? -[whimpers]
[sobs]
However much I loved you that first day, I've only loved you more since then.
Okay, I may have made some mistakes.
And I'll own that. I will.
But one thing I never did
was shut you out of my life, Leyla.
Now you need to make a choice.
You have money now, so you don't need me anymore.
That's fine.
You can go your own way.
Or just maybe
Sarp and you and I run away together to Greece.
Start everything from scratch.
It's your call.
Okay.
-[whimpers] -[sighs]
[Turkish arabesque music plays]
Wow, is that really a tape? Who uses tapes anymore?
That really hurts, counselor.
I think analog is the real future.
Hm.
[Fiko humming]
♪ Which one of us hasn't been lovesick? ♪
♪ Which one of us Hasn't been head-over-heels in love? ♪
MAYBE YOU NEED ME TOO. YOU NEVER KNOW…
♪ Which one of us… ♪
You don't like this?
There are a bunch of other tapes in the glove compartment.
I just don't like arabesque music.
It's too depressing for me.
Wait, wait.
[glove compartment latch clicks]
[music stops]
[clears throat]
What's that cologne you're wearing?
It's olive blossom cologne.
Do you like it?
It's not that bad.
[pop music plays]
[Sevgi lip-syncing]
♪ I can't stop fighting Nor can I stop loving ♪
So this is not arabesque?
How can you say that?
Night is endless Day is endless
Neither my battles nor my love Come to an end
You can't avoid pain
Pain is good It makes you grow
[both singing along in Turkish]
-[cell phone chiming] -Oh, wait. Turn it down.
Oh my God. [gasps] Damn it!
Hey, Toprak. I'm so, so sorry.
I was going to start writing your petition,
but something came up.
Is it okay if I do it tomorrow?
Oh, no problem, Sevgi.
What's wrong? You okay?
[melancholy music plays]
[monitor beeping]
Mom?
Where are you going?
I'm going to leave.
I have to.
You're gonna leave Dad just like that?
I can't stay, Ada. Sorry.
Baby girl?
Please don't be mad at her.
Daddy.
I'm here for you Daddy. Don't worry.
Don't you worry. I'll be right here by your side. Right here
Daddy. Stop being stubborn, please.
Let me take you to a hospital. They can take better care of you there.
No.
No more hospitals, dear.
Not now.
[melancholy music plays]
[kisses]
[woman sobbing quietly]
[music intensifies]
No, don't touch me.
So this is how you'll go, Mom?
Is this it?
Without an explanation.
Without even talking about it.
Will you go before I have the chance to understand you?
[breathes shakily, sniffles]
[monitor beeping]
[sobbing]
Is this how it really ends?
[Leyla] Sevgi!
-I made it! I made it! -Where have you been?
How in the hell did you catch up with us?
I mean I got a ton of tickets, but, still, I finally made it somehow.
-[Leyla gasps] Ada. -Ada.
[Sevgi] Honey.
[Leyla sighs]
I'm so sorry.
[Selim] Thank you.
[Sevgi] She'll be all right, okay? I'm sure she'll be okay.
-What'd they say? -They say she can't hang on much longer.
Come on! Don't think that. Positive thoughts, positive thoughts.
Thoughts won't change anything.
I'm too late.
I wish I had answered her calls.
Or just taken a hint or something when she came over.
[sniffles] I don't know, maybe then … maybe…
-I don't know, I don't… [sobs] -[Sevgi] No.
Don't cry, baby. Don't cry.
[sobbing]
-Come with me. -Ah! You almost burned me, Sevgi!
I know you can handle it. Come on.
Where were you, earlier? Your phone was turned off.
[sighs]
My father decided to send me a letter after all these years.
It was actually more like an order.
He says I won't get my inheritance, unless I divorce Erdem.
I switched off my phone and took a walk. You happy?
Leyla.
Your dad is doing this for you. You know that, don't you?
They could take all your money to pay off Erdem's debts,
because you're married. You get it?
You think that's what my father has in mind?
He hasn't come to see his grandson once in ten years.
He wants me to leave Erdem. That's all he cares about.
He can't see that the only family I have is Erdem.
He's my support system.
And he's always there, even if you all hate him.
Hey. Don't do this, Leyla.
We're angry with him because he upset you,
and we hate this terrible position he's put you in.
Well, don't worry, Sevgi.
I'll sign the papers 'cause I'm divorcing Erdem.
Leyla, listen. Baby, listen to me.
Maybe this is for the best.
You stumbled onto a wonderful opportunity,
and maybe it's time you get a fresh start with that money, huh?
But don't you see? I don't really need a fresh start.
I just need my husband by my side.
He's the father of my child. Do you understand?
Yeah, of course. Oh… Don't cry. You'll make me sad.
God damn it. Why does nobody get this?
I really, truly love Erdem!
I mean, yes, he's made mistakes, but so have I.
Just like everyone else has.
And you can't just love someone in an instant.
It happens over time, as you get to know them and get used to them.
He may not be the guy that you imagined at first.
But then… you start ignoring all the stupid mistakes.
[sobs]
You start to love his smell or… or maybe his laugh.
And just being near him is good for you.
[Leyla sobs]
I just hope… someday you'll see what I mean.
And you'll feel the same way that I do.
I really hope so
But I'm… I can't have that for me. That's not…
Sevgi, why don't you take a good look at yourself before you say that?
Isn't there anyone?
There's not a single guy for you out there?
[shouts] Not a single one. Do you see anyone here?
Okay, I'm sorry. Calm down. Let go, honey. Okay?
It will come to you. Don't worry.
[soft music plays]
[Selim] Yes, I'm trying to tell you…
Those aren't the project specs. You've done it all wrong.
What are you gonna do?
Well, you are gonna tear it down and build it again from scratch.
Hey. I'm at the hospital.
Do I have to stand over you like a prison guard? Huh?
No, I can't come now.
-I can't. -Selim. Selim.
Just go home.
Look, there's nothing else you can do here.
-We're just waiting. -I'll call you back in a minute, okay?
Go.
Why don't we transfer your mom to a better hospital in Istanbul?
What do you think?
I think it'd be better. We don't know what's gonna happen.
And you won't be miserable like you are here. Hm?
No way. Moving her right now would be risky.
Selim.
You should just go. I'll let you know if something happens.
No, I'm not going anywhere.
I'm sorry.
Thank you so much.
I wanted to see if you needed anything. Fiko told me you were here.
No, thank you. We don't need anything.
I meant Ada, Selim.
How's your mom?
Belgin? Really?
Not great.
No news.
I'm so sorry.
I hope she'll be okay.
Thanks, Toprak.
If you need anything at all,
I'll be around.
Selim.
Come on. This is not the time. It really isn't. Just go, please.
I'll call you if anything happens.
I promise. Just go.
[Turkish classical music plays on radio]
[Fiko] So how are things with you?
Sevgi's preparing a petition to send.
I still don't get it.
You're saying that the mother is keeping your child away from you?
No, it's the guy.
Looks like I couldn't beat some sense into him.
Except,
if I hadn't beaten him up, none of this would have happened.
Fuck it. Never mind that.
If you hadn't beaten him up,
you wouldn't have come, and I wouldn't have met you,
and you wouldn't know Zaman. Think about it.
Zaman and I actually go way back, Fiko. He was my father's student.
He used to visit us.
Years later, he came to the club that I was playing at in Germany.
A fight broke out in the venue. I beat up some guy.
Zaman grabbed me, and he told me to come to his place the next day.
He's been trying to help me ever since.
I hope you get to see your kid again.
But you seem to have unfinished business here too.
You know what I mean. You and Ada.
You know what I'm talking about.
If that wasn't the case, would you even be here?
Well, once I wasn't there for her when I should've been.
That's why I'm here.
I'll stay until her mother's back on her feet.
Good man.
[bottles clink]
You should always be there for loved ones, especially during hard times.
Ada.
Don't get mad, but I wanted to say…
maybe there's something else, other than medicine
that could help Belgin.
Maybe she has a deeper issue like an old wound putting a strain on her heart.
Sevgi, don't.
Don't start about Zaman, or I swear to God I'm gonna leave this room.
Honey.
Look, the day I had my session,
a woman was there on behalf of her sick mother.
Maybe it's better than doing nothing here.
Leyla.
We're in a hospital right now.
My mother's in a coma.
What could Zaman do that hasn't already been done?
Have you both gone totally crazy?
-[cell phone chiming] -[sighs]
Honey, I think Belgin's phone is ringing. It's in here.
Oh, it says Gül?
Is that her neighbor?
[clears throat]
Yes, hello?
Uh, yes, yeah. This is Belgin's phone.
What's that?
Who's Zihni?
[cell phone chiming]
[Fiko] Dude. Sevgi.
It's Sevgi.
-She's calling me. Sevgi's calling me. -Answer. It could be important.
-I should answer? -Yeah.
Hello. Sevgi?
What? Okay.
No, I'm already downstairs.
Okay, okay.
She wants me there.
She wants me with her. I'm off, bro.
But wait. What is it, dude?
We're gonna check up on Zihni.
Who's Zihni?
-[purring] -[latch clicking]
[Sevgi] Fiko, I'm really sorry about this.
Leyla is afraid of cats, and I can't drive.
No, it's no problem at all.
We can leave as soon as I give him his food.
-[Sevgi] Zihni? Where are you, baby? -[sighs]
Oh no. He's got no water, and his food bowl is empty.
Hey.
My mother had a sewing machine just like this one.
I still remember the sound it made, you know?
Look. Check out Ada.
She was such a little cutie.
Huh. What?
I wonder how Belgin came across this wedding photo?
My mom must've given it to her.
Why?
-Ada and her mother aren't in touch? -[sucks teeth]
Zihni. Zihni.
[Sevgi gasps]
Zihni.
Come here.
-[Fiko] Come here. -Come here.
-[Fiko] Come here… -Here, kitty-kitty.
-Zihni, come. Come, my boy. -[Fiko] Kitty-kitty, come…
-[Zihni yowls] -[Fiko yelps]
-Fiko, hold the door! [gasps] -[gasps]
[sighs]
[heart beating]
Ada.
[Ada] What's going on?
[suspenseful music plays]
[multiple monitors beeping]
[woman] Pulse is back to normal.
[monitor beeping steadily]
[soft music plays]
[Leyla sighs]
[Ada sobbing]
Leyla, I'm just not ready to lose my mother yet.
[sobs] I'm not ready.
[Leyla sighs]
[sniffles]
Listen, I'm gonna need a favor from you.
[Fiko] You think we should look for Zihni a little more?
This is all my fault.
Poor thing is lost because of me.
How will we find him in the dark, Fiko?
I think we should just wait.
Here.
Oh, thank you.
Wow. Mom's pastry.
I really missed this.
-And is your mother alive? -She is, yes.
But,
if you're asking if she's in my life,
that's a no.
Mm, sorry. I apologize, Fiko. I didn't mean…
-I was trying to make conversation. -It's okay.
No problem at all.
I got over the whole situation a very long time ago.
Me and my brother,
when we were just kids, our mom took off on us.
I was such a handful.
And I kept bugging my dad, saying, "I want Mom."
"I want Mom," over and over again.
And one day my dad comes home with a woman.
But that woman was not my mother.
God forgive me, she looked like a hog.
[chuckles] Like a hog?
-Yeah, a hog. -[chuckles]
-Like a pig. -[chuckles]
Hog or not, I'm sure your dad loved being with her.
No, you have no idea. There was no love.
He just found her somewhere.
I really couldn't stand her.
I defied her every day.
But when dad let her do whatever she wanted,
she started beating me.
And your father said nothing about it to her?
Oh, he said something.
"Well done, dear wife."
Every day, I got a beating from that hog,
almost like it was some kind of a blessing.
Every single day.
And your brother?
My brother.
That's where things got a little out of hand.
One day,
in the middle of beating me, she tried to hit my brother too.
I lost control.
I ran to the kitchen and came back with a knife.
And I finally confronted her that day.
I told her that…
I told her I'd kill her
if she ever laid a hand on my brother.
"You can do anything you want with me,
but raise a hand to my brother,
and I will destroy you."
And she never did it again after that.
So, when I turned 18, I rushed down to the recruitment office
and begged them to recruit me
or I'd burn down all of Adana.
I never went back to that house or even Adana.
[Fiko] I was lucky enough to be deployed in Ayvalık.
[Sevgi] You make it sound like a movie, Fiko.
But have you never thought about getting married?
[Fiko] I'll tell you about that movie later, huh?
-[Fiko] Good morning. Hey. [shushes] -Morning.
Come.
Look.
[gasps] Hey….
-[cats purring] -[Fiko] He wasn't lost at all.
Romantic Zihni just slipped out to get his girlfriend.
[gasps] I'm really sorry. So sorry. Forgive me.
That was totally out of the blue [whimpers]
[cell phone chiming]
[sniffles, clears throat]
Yeah. Leyla, what's up?
What?
Okay, we'll be right there.
Mm… By "we" I mean "me." I'll be there.
[soft music plays]
I'll take the kettle off the stove.
Come in, please. Come in. Come in.
-Thank you so much for coming here -You're welcome.
The place needs some air. I'll open the door.
How does this…?
Um…
We can use this table here.
Have a seat, please.
[tense music plays]
All right.
For this, we're going to work with stones.
Now pick a stone for yourself.
It doesn't matter which type or which size it is.
And put it anywhere you like.
Don't mind the position or direction.
Take a look at yourself.
What are you thinking. What are you feeling?
[Ada] Pain.
Sorrow.
Now pick a stone for your mother.
Anywhere you like.
[echoing thud]
When you look at your mother, what do you feel and think?
I feel ice cold.
How long has it been since you stopped seeing your mother?
When did you stop talking to her? Hm?
Now, whoever that ice cold person is,
pick a stone for them too.
[echoing clash]
Your mother's… mother.
[young Belgin] Mother!
Kemal just asked me to marry him. So we're getting married.
Did I send you to school so you could elope?
I've endured years of pain and suffering for you, for my children.
Of all my three children,
you're the only one that's still alive, the only one of my babies.
And this is how you repay me, Belgin?
You haven't even graduated yet,
but now you're gonna go and run off with some stupid boy and ruin your life?
Is that what you want, baby?
[spits]
You're a complete disgrace.
But I love him, mother.
You walk out that door, and I'll regret everything I've ever done for you,
and I promise that you'll never, ever find comfort in your life. Remember that.
[sobs]
[Zaman] And now pick a stone for your grandma's mom.
There are so many tears.
Someone was left behind.
Who did your grandmother leave behind?
Her sister, Zehra.
How do you feel when you see this?
It feels as if she's waiting for someone.
[Zaman] It's like she wants to be seen, supported, loved, and embraced.
It's her mother she's been waiting for.
[Zehra] Where's Mama?
Where's Havva?
[muffled gunshot]
[Zaman] What's changed now?
[music intensifies]
I'm…
feeling better.
[Zaman] What is it that you feel and think when you look at your mother?
[Ada] She wants to go to a certain place.
[Belgin] I found my place, baby.
I'm inside my mother's loving arms.
I'm waiting for you with all my love and compassion.
[Zaman] What your mother did was what she thought
was best and what was right for her.
But do you think you can get closer to your mother?
[music intensifies]
[music crescendoes, stops]
[muffled gunshot]
You can't move.
There seems to be an issue with your father.
Okay, we can stop now.
Right.
It's no surprise that your mother has a heart condition.
From her mother to her aunt,
it seems like every woman in her family had a broken heart.
So then
will what we did here really work?
Will it be enough to heal my mother's heart?
There's nothing you can do.
You just need to respect.
The rest is your mom's path.
[melancholy organ music plays]
[monitor beeping steadily]
Oh, Mom.
[Ada] Mom?
I was dreaming of my mother.
[moans]
She stroked my hair all night long.
[Ada] I know, Mom.
[kisses]
I know that.
[sniffles] I know.
[Belgin] Mm.
[sobs]
What?
Belgin's finally awake, Muko! She's awake!
-[Muko gasps] -[Leyla chuckles]
[Muko] Oh, thank goodness!
My prayers have been answered, Leyla.
[cries]
Mommy. It's okay. What's wrong?
[sobbing] Oh, nothing.
It would just be sad if she'd passed away
before they got a chance to talk and make up.
-Aw. -Sevgi.
Oh, thank God.
[continues sobbing]
RESTAURANT FOR SALE
[sighs]
Don't worry, okay?
Somehow, there's always a way.
[monitor beeping steadily]
[multiple monitors beeping rapidly]
[melancholy music plays]
[music stops]
[sobbing]
["Büklüm Büklüm" plays]
Thank you so much.
[song continues]
[song ends]
[theme music plays]
♪ What if the past is not yet history? ♪
♪ And it's why my future Gets away from me? ♪
♪ The bliss, the joy, and the victory ♪
♪ Are hidden in another self deep inside of me ♪
♪ So tell me If the past is not yet history ♪
♪ Could it be Somewhere we've lost the harmony? ♪
♪ The muse, the spell, and the irony ♪
♪ Are sailing in another self Deep inside of me ♪
♪ I came to smile I came to cry ♪
♪ I came to fail, then grow up high ♪
♪ I came to fall I came to love ♪
♪ I came to remember we're born to fly ♪
♪ I came to sing I came to fight ♪
♪ I came to lose, then look upside ♪
♪ I came to doubt I came to trust ♪
♪ I came to remind you No one's born to die ♪
♪ No one's born to die ♪